Results tagged ‘ Mike Lowell ’
Spring Training Behind the Scences & My Take on the Latest News
I’ve told you all what my first two Spring Training games were like– in the “reporting” sense that is. I gave you some scouting reports (if those even classify as scouting reports), my projects, and a couple of cool stories. One of the most fun parts about a baseball game though, is the people that you meet and the conversations that you have. Baseball is baseball, but that entire experience of going to the ballpark is so special for a reason. It’s not just the game, because you can just watch that on TV. There’s that special tunnel experience, the bad overpriced food, and the people. Can you imagine what a baseball game would be like without the people?
Every game you go to, no matter who you are– you talk to someone. You talk about baseball, and nothing else. So I thought that I would share with you what happened behind the scenes in Spring Training– the conversations.
Before the second game, I was down near the dugout with a bunch of other fans. We were all trying to get autographs, so me and this nine-year-old girl were looking through my program, trying to find the numbers of players that we didn’t know so we could call their names. I became the official yeller, and I didn’t mind at all.
Karen and Kathleen were down there too, and we were all just talking about the Red Sox and what we thought about this year and what we thought about last year, and more. Somehow, a fire drill started to go off.
There was no way I was leaving. Kathleen declared that we should all “report on the field in an orderly fashion”. Hey, that’s how they do it at my school. Thankfully, we weren’t forced to leave. Believe me, I would not have gone easily.
Once the game started, Papi got on base, and we were talking about how we think that we may have seen him steal once. It sounds mythical doesn’t it? “Did the space-time continuum stop or something?” Kathleen asked. I do remember seeing Manny steal last year (we’ll get to him later), and if anything, Papi probably stole on a passed ball.
One of the funniest moments came when Wes Littleton was pitching. One of the Reds hit a ground ball to second base, and I guess he “fell” and rolled down the first base line a bit, got up and continued running. As Jimmy would say, that would have been my “rare moment of the game”. Kathleen put it best when she classified the move as a “roundoff back handspring”. We, the fans, gave him a 6.5
I have a question for you all. How the hell is Justin Masterson 250 pounds? I was looking through my program, and when I came across my former project, I had to stop. Granted he is 6’6″, but really, 250 pounds? He does not look that… he is so lanky! That’s bigger than Big Papi!
My Take on Baseball News
Starting off with the biggest news, Manny. Well, well, well a two-year $45 million deal. Doesn’t that sound familiar? Kind of like the same offer that was on the table four months ago? This is yet another piece of evidence that Scott Boras overestimated the market this year. The only people that I can recall right now that got more than one year deals were AJ Burnett, CC Sabbathia, and Mark Teixeira– well, those are the must substantial deals anyway. So Manny wanted six years, in the “A-Rod range”.
Two things wrong with that expectation:
1. No one in their right mind is going to give Manny six years. After what he pulled in Boston? He even got an opt-out clause in his contract after one year. We all know Manny has commitment issues. He hasn’t even expressed interest for playing the second year.
2. I know that Manny is good– I know that he is Hall of Fame caliber. But no one deserves that kind of money. I don’t care how good you are, $27 million dollars a year is absolutely ridiculous.
So as I was reading the article on this, one of his quotes really hurt me:
“I’m in a great place where I want to play. I am happy, my teammates love me, the fans love me. Sometimes it’s better to have a two-year deal in a place you’re happy than an eight year deal in a place you suffer”
I would have been alright if he had just said “I’m in a great place where I want to play.” He should say something like that. I’m glad that he is happy, I really am. But, I’m pretty sure that the Red Sox players loved Manny until one point. He was just being Manny. And let me tell you something, us fans LOVED him. I’m sorry, but that statement implies that the fans didn’t love him. Let me tell you guys something, I loved Manny to death, and that statement just plain hurts. Don’t take me for granted, Manny.
And was he really unhappy in Boston for eight years? I don’t think so. I think he liked it for sometime. I have to say, I feel a little betrayed.
A-Rod injured
So A-Rod has a torn hip labrum that will require surgery, and he’s not getting it yet. I’m pretty sure that’s what Mike Lowell had, and that was not good. It limited his range (and we already know that A-Rod is not the best defensive third baseman) and Lowell said it felt like a “knife” every time he swung.
According to Brian Cashman, they’re going to delay surgery until after 2009. After all, the surgery would take at least four months out of A-Rod’s season, and that’s a lot. We all know how he contributes to that lineup, just not in the clutch. A-Rod has put up some good stats thus far in Spring Training though. But as it worsens throughout the season, it could definitely have a detrimental effect.
Red Sox
Brad Penny didn’t start today against Puerto Rico like he was supposed to. I guess the shoulder strength wasn’t where it needed to be. Well, I’d rather take it slow with a guy coming off an injury like that than rush him into anything. That’s what Spring Training is all about. Better now than during the season anyway.
JD Drew went to Boston a few days ago to get a shock in his lower back beca
use he has been feeling stiffness. I’m not too concerned though, I mean, he did say that once he gets loose that he is fine. Lowell is also saying that he feels better, not feeling the knife anymore. His first start should come soon.
use he has been feeling stiffness. I’m not too concerned though, I mean, he did say that once he gets loose that he is fine. Lowell is also saying that he feels better, not feeling the knife anymore. His first start should come soon.
I’m really enjoying this battle for shortstop. Both guys are looking great thus far. I think that Chris Carter would make a great addition to the bench too.
**Update: I am no longer going to the game this weekend. It’s too risky to drive all the way to Port Charlotte and not get anything– I mean, it is a Red Sox vs Rays game. Next week against the Orioles though, I’m there. Much closer too! And Jenn has been kind enough to teach me how to put photos in here. I’m excited… Here is one now, the most artsy shot of the day:
-Elizabeth
#5: Nomar Garciaparra
Continuing in the tradition started by Jimmy Curran over at Baseball, the Yankees, and Life; I am dedicating my latest ranking, number five, to a former Red Sox player that has a very special place in my heart.
Nomar went to Georgia Tech, along with Jason Varitek (who had his number retired), and helped the “Yellow Jackets” get to the College World Series in 1994. He was a first round pick for the Red Sox in 1994, and played three years in their minor league system. He made his Major League debut in August 1, 1996, and his first major league hit, which happened to be a home run, came on September 1. It’s not like he was playing everyday though, John Valentin was the starting shortstop at the time, but not for long. By late 1996, Nomar had taken the job– Valentin moved to second base.
Garciaparra’s rookie year was 1997, and he hit 30 home runs, and had 98 RBIs, which set a Major League record for RBIs by a leadoff hitter. He also set the record for leadoff home runs by a rookie. Do you guys know who broke it? (Hint: It was another shortstop). He had a 30 game hit streak which also set an American League rookie record. He was unanimously voted Rookie of the Year and even finished eighth in MVP voting.
In 1998 he finished with 35 home runs and 122 RBIs, and runner up for MVP. For the next two years, he led the American League in batting average. .357 in 1999, and .372 in 2000. He didn’t even win MVP those years.
In 2001, the injuries began. His season was ended when he came into Spring Training with a wrist injury and returned in 2002 to bat .310. It was the beginning of the end.
Following a dreadful end to the 2003 season (Nomar did okay, but the Red Sox didn’t), the relatively new Red Sox ownership was investigating the idea of trading Manny to Texas for A-Rod, and Nomar to the White Sox for Magglio Ordonez. This obviously upset Nomar, and he became very unhappy.
He was traded to the Chicago Cubs on July 31, 2004 for Orlando Cabrera and Doug (not even going to attempt his last name). Nonetheless, he was given a World Series ring from that year. God, I miss Nomar.
Projects
For those of you that do not know, I have started a tradition of having “project players”. These are players that I see in Spring Training, or who may have a brief stint with the Red Sox, that I really like. Last year, Jed Lowrie and Justin Masterson were my projects.
I would now like to declare to you my projects for 2009:
Jeff Bailey
Lars Anderson
Chris Carter
Nick Green
Junichi Tazawa
All of them are minor league players– you can check out my reports on them in my previous entry. Angel Chavez might make the list as well, he’s been looking great.
Jacobyluvr asked some questions that are really important to look at right now in my last post:
Initial Intake on Starting Rotation:
Thus far, we have seen three out of five of our starting rotation: Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, Tim Wakefield.
Josh Beckett has been looking great according to reports. The fact that he may look like his 2007 self is very pleasant to hear. Against Boston College, Beckett fired two innings and two strikeouts and didn’t allow any hits. Against the Twins, he also fired two perfect innings, but didn’t strike out anyone. The main thing for Beckett is to stay healthy. Some years he is incredible, others he is mediocre. Last season, he was always “catching up”– ever since that Spring Training game where he had the back spasms.
Jon Lester pitched against Pittsburgh and earlier today against the Reds. Against Pittsburgh, he pitched two innings, allowed two hits, and struck out one. Today, against the Reds, he pitched two perfect innings and struck out two in the process. Lester is working on adding a changeup to his arsenal of pitches. He is so young that he can continue to learn and really develop.
Wakefield, in his start against the Twins, gave up two earned runs on five runs in two innings. Coming out of the bullpen (after Beckett) in the second game against the Twins, he walked one, gave up one hit and no earned runs in two innings. The thing about Wakefield is that he is either on or off– there is very little middle ground. He basically has one pitch, and even though the knuckle ball may be pretty hard to hit for some teams– all it takes is two pitches to time it down. The great thing about Wakefield is that he goes very deep into games.
We can’t tell much about Dice-K because he has been training in Japan this entire time for the World Baseball Classic, which is starting this weekend. I hope that they don’t overwork him. I know how much he means to Japan and his country, but there are 162 games in the season, and he has to pitch every five days for seven innings ideally. The thing about Dice-K is that even though he went 18-3, he walked tons of people, but got tons of run support. He needs to cut down on the walks (I know he can get out of jams, but I would rather him to deep into games). I’ll be closely watching him in the World Baseball Classic. Kevin Youkilis, Dustin Pedroia and Big Papi say they have some plans to hit home runs off him.
Brad Penny will most likely be the fifth starter. He has not pitched in Spring Training yet, and he will not be starting against Puerto Rico. The biggest thing for him is also to stay healthy, because when he is healthy, he is great. After all, in 2007 he did finish third in Cy Young Award voting. Justin Masterson did a great job starting though.
Mike Lowell Situation
In order for Lowell to be re
ady for Opening Day, he needs to take it a bit slower than everyone else simply because he is coming off surgery. I definitely would like to see him in a couple of exhibition games though because it would be tough just to come back without any practice. That’s kind of what happened to Josh Beckett. If Lowell is not ready for Opening Day, he should not play. The last thing I want is for him to push anything too far. If he is not ready for Opening Day, I have some ideas:
ady for Opening Day, he needs to take it a bit slower than everyone else simply because he is coming off surgery. I definitely would like to see him in a couple of exhibition games though because it would be tough just to come back without any practice. That’s kind of what happened to Josh Beckett. If Lowell is not ready for Opening Day, he should not play. The last thing I want is for him to push anything too far. If he is not ready for Opening Day, I have some ideas:
Kevin Youkilis could move to third, and either Lars Anderson, Jeff Bailey, or Chris Carter could come up to play first base. It would not be the end of the world if he can’t start on Opening Day. The main priority is for him to completely rehab. He is working out in Fort Myers right now with everyone else, but I would guess that if he is not ready for Opening Day, he should probably start out in Triple AAA just to get a feel for things.
I can’t watch Spring Training games, which really upsets me. They’re always during school, so I can only check the score so often. Today, as I checked the score, I noticed that we were losing. Instead of freaking out, I checked the box score and checked out who hit and who pitched. Jed Lowrie had a good day, and Chris Carter got a hit too. As I was scrolling through the pitchers to see who had earned the runs, I noticed that Ramon Ramirez had three of the earned runs and four of the hits. He had looked so good before! Was it just a bad day?
Thank you all for reading!
-Elizabeth
Back to the Red Sox
It’s done! It’s finally done! Thank you all for the positive support that you have shown me throughout this entire process. From topics to write about, to the intro paragraph to the outline to the rough draft, you guys were always there for me. I think that speaks wonders for the wonderful community that we have here.
I want you all to know that I took into consideration each and every comment that you gave me. You guys caught some really important stuff. Whether it was my contradictions, or my tense changes, or the places that I should separate my paragraphs– it all really helped!
It’s not like I haven’t been keeping up with the Red Sox. Research paper or not, I always check in on the site. I’ve made it unavoidable for myself because it’s my homepage.
I’m feeling quite confident about the Red Sox’s 2009 season. They went into 2008 with basically the exact same roster that they came out of the World Series with… so the question is– what happened?
First of all, Curt Schilling was NOT healthy. He didn’t even make one pitch for the Red Sox. Not that I blame him or anything, I would not have wanted him to pitch unhealthy. So to fix this problem, the Red Sox went out and got John Smoltz. His role is almost identical to what Schilling’s was supposed to be last year. Schilling wasn’t supposed to come back until June of 2008 and look when Smoltz is supposed to come back: June 2009. Luckily Smoltz feels healthy.
Josh Beckett was not his 2007 self. Like I said a few entries ago, Beckett is like a cyclical economy, only not as proportional. He has a really good year, and then he has a mediocre year. A cyclical economy is a bit more extreme. Statistically, he’s due to have a good year. Even Francona says that he looks like his 2007 self. Beckett made some interesting speculations during his interview. He said he was “catching up all year”. It started in Spring Training when he had back spasms. I was at that game, I was really excited because I had never seen him pitch before (I still haven’t seen it)… then Manny Delcarmen pitched. It was still fun.
We never had a solid fifth starter. It started with Clay Buchholz, the no-hitter phenomenon. Turns out he still needed a bit more seasoning in the minors after he posted a 2-9 record. So the Sox sent him back down to Double AA Portland– the problem was, they never really planned for this. Who was their fifth starter going to be? They experimented with Bartolo Colon (he was a bit of a fluke– good luck to you Chicago fans). Then there was Dave Pauley, Justin Masterson and Michael Bowden, but we all know that they still needed seasoning (Pauley is long gone now). Then we finally acquired Paul Byrd in late July– it helped a bit. So what did the Red Sox do to improve on that? They went out and got not only John Smoltz, but Brad Penny. That Brad Penny acquisition was perfect– I’m sensing a comeback year. I’ll report back if I like what I see at Spring Training.
Jacoby Ellsbury was not as “Jacoby Ellsbury” as he was in 2007. But what do you expect? Everyone is worrying about how they don’t know what he’s going to do in 2009. Relax. Here is what I predict: He will bat about .285, maybe a bit higher, he will steal more bases, and he will be more consistent. Plus he still makes those incredible catches in the outfield.
Big Papi was not “Big Papi”. When this happens, it’s remarkable that you even get to the ALCS. His average dropped, his home runs dropped– everything dropped. So Ortiz worked out during the offseason, shaped up a bit, and rested his wrist. That was the big problem, I think he’ll be back.
Manny being Manny was no longer the pride of Red Sox Nation. I loved Manny, I really did, but he had to go. He was just too worried about his contract and what was going to happen next year. If he can’t deal with the business of baseball, then he shouldn’t be playing. So he left, but boy did we get one hell of a guy. Jason Bay came in and performed beautifully. Not to mention that the “lack of experience in October” that everyone was fretting about turned into “Wow, Jason bay is thriving in October!!”. A better season this year? Oh yes.
Mike Lowell’s hip basically blew up. A torn labarum I think it was– that doesn’t sound pretty, and it wasn’t. It was painful watching him being in pain. He lost his range over at third, and he lost some power in his bat. When that happens to your 2007 World Series MVP, what are you supposed to do? Well, not only did the Red Sox management go out and get Mark Kotsay, Kevin Youkilis stepped up and went to third. He looked like he played third everyday of his life (and I think he was brought up as a third baseman).
The bullpen was inconsistent. Everyone was tired during the summer, and you could tell. Poor Jonathan Papelbon would not have pitched in Game 7 if he had been needed. We overused him because our relief was inconsistent Well just look at our bullpen now! We definitely have one of the best in the Majors. It’s also good to know that Papelbon feels rejuvenated now.
Not to mention the great looking bench that we have. When you have a guy like Rocco Baldelli coming off your bench, I think you’re in pretty good shape. By the way, I think Rocco would like us all to know: He feels fine. I can imagine that he has been asked that questions way too many times.
Both of the contenders for starting shortstop say that
they are ready to go and that they feel great. The article about Lugo made me feel a little bit guilty though. I didn’t forget about him!! Maybe I was just– angry! I know that he has always been a second half guy but… that doesn’t mean that he’s allowed to blow off the first half! After reading that article, I’ve decided that the shortstop spot is completely wide open. I don’t want Julio to be nervous about living up to his contract. That’s the problem with all the money in baseball these days, it puts pressure on these guys. I hope that Pedroia, Youkilis and Papelbon don’t let their nice contracts get to them. I don’t think they will.
they are ready to go and that they feel great. The article about Lugo made me feel a little bit guilty though. I didn’t forget about him!! Maybe I was just– angry! I know that he has always been a second half guy but… that doesn’t mean that he’s allowed to blow off the first half! After reading that article, I’ve decided that the shortstop spot is completely wide open. I don’t want Julio to be nervous about living up to his contract. That’s the problem with all the money in baseball these days, it puts pressure on these guys. I hope that Pedroia, Youkilis and Papelbon don’t let their nice contracts get to them. I don’t think they will.
Speaking of contracts, the Red Sox management have mentioned that they would be in favor of a salary cap. Like they said, it would just take time. Time to figure out how exactly to do this. It would be great for some teams, but it would also hurt other teams– like the Red Sox. They are in favor of a “competitive balance”. Well, wouldn’t that make baseball even better if the games were even closer? It would be tricky for general managers to try and work out their teams, and would players be in favor of taking some pay cut checks? I like this idea, I just don’t want to see another 1994. It would make baseball easier to relate to though– it would bring it closer to the level that the New York Knickerbockers wanted to keep it at: an amateur game.
I’ll be doing a full look at the Red Sox’s roster in the near future.
I have the final draft of my paper (with footnotes too!). If you are interested in a copy, please leave a comment with your e-mail or e-mail me at elizabethxsanti@aol.com, and I’d be happy to send it.
-Elizabeth
New Edition: ‘My Daily Dosage of Baseball’
I am not sure if any of you realized, but my ‘Prime 9′ (enjoy the pun Metsmainman) only had eight topics. My mistake, but to those of you who were wondering, ‘what the heck is number nine’…
Lowell’s Recovery
After being the MVP of the 2007 World Series, Mikey’s numbers dropped, and he did not even play in the ALCS. I think the reason for that was his troublesome hip. His range over at third base was minimized, and his batting average dropped to .274 and his RBI total was diminished. Mike has had surgery this offseason, and according to some sources around the web, his rehab is going very well. I cannot believe that I forgot him after vying for his place on the team as the Red Sox pursued Mark Teixeira. 2009 is Lowell’s year to show the Red Sox that he is not done just yet! I think he has the ability to show us all that it was well worth it not picking up Teixeira.
My Daily Dosage of Baseball
I think I’ve decided to dedicate this section of my blog to any baseball conversation(s) that I have throughout the day. Today, Mr. Gedeon, my gym teacher from last semester and I talked about the Mets.
Gedeon: So we [the Mets] got Oliver Perez
Me: Yeah, for the same price as Derek Lowe! 3 years, $36 million…
Gedeon: Yeah, but I would rather Perez than Lowe
Me: Really? But Perez has been known to be inconsistent…
Gedeon: Well, kind of.. but at random times. And you know when he’s off, like if he’ll walk six people or something
Me: Yeah, Dice-K does that sometimes in the first inning. He always manages to get out of it unscathed though. You guys could still get Ben Sheets
Gedeon: Yeah, that would make me happy, I know they’re talking to him.
Me: Yup, but the Rangers are in the mix now too… You guys could be getting Manny Ramirez… potentially… maybe…
Gedeon: Yeah, I wish…
Me: I don’t know, I don’t really see it happening
Gedeon: Yeah… well he could always go back to the Red Sox
Me: No, he’s not coming back
Gedeon: Don’t you miss him?
Me: Yes…
Here is where I launch into my story about how I made a statue of his head in seventh grade, and how it hurts me every time to look at it! If you haven’t heard, Manny turned down a 1 year $25 million dollar contract from the Dodgers. I also had this conversation with my friend Cloe. She was appalled that anyone could decline $25 million, but as I replied to her, Manny does think that he is God’s gift to the baseball world.
I think we all know why Manny declined this deal– he wants to go long term. I think that he would be willing to settle for less money, but more years. I don’t understand why he wants to be tied down so badly, he tends to get tired of places pretty easily. This has not discouraged either side from negotiations as they are still talking. Where is Manny going to go?
Apparently, an offer from the Nationals has been sitting with Adam Dunn for a while. It does not seem like he is too eager to head over there. If no one else has offered him anything, it looks like he may have to settle.
Baseball has come back faster than I expected it would. In about a week, pitchers and catchers will finally be reporting to their respective Spring Training camps. As soon as the Super bowl ended, baseball officially took center stage. For some people, March is about college basketball’s ‘March Madness’, but for us, it’s all about Spring Training. How will you guys fill the void until it officially begins?
The Latest Leaders came out today from this past week. Julia is number one!! I think she deserves a huge congratulations from all of us, and I think we knew that it would only be a matter of time before she would be number one. She is such a wonderful, hardworking blogger.
I dropped down to number 17, but I suppose that happens with blogging inconsistently and an annoying week. Regardless, I am always honored to even be in the latest leaders. My dedication will be coming soon! Thank you all for reading, and congratulations if you were on the list!!
-Elizabeth
Someone give Jason a Sign!!
Tomorrow is Friday, which means that we will finally know whether Jason Varitek will be returning. My endless crusade for his return for the past three months will finally come to an end. You have heard from me countless times about his intangible impact on the pitching staff and what not, but this weekend be prepared to hear something new. I hope that tomorrow evening [presumably], I will be posting a celebratory entry, with tears of joy rolling down my cheeks, and Jason Varitek brownies will be cooking in the oven.
I will be waiting for that fateful text message from my father all day, and I don’t think my peers will be surprised if I let out a scream during class when I find out the news. My phone will probably be taken away and I will be issued a detention, but it is well worth it to know the news immediately and be relieved for the next year (or two).
When this situation is finally figured out, I think the future of Clay Buchholz will be more clear as well. Julia commented yesterday that she thinks that Clay will be traded to the Texas Rangers for Jarrod Saltalamacchia. Like I said before, I would be a bit concerned if this happened because Smoltz and Penny are only one year deals, but seeing that we have a whole year with them, Michael Bowden could be developed in the minor leagues.
If you haven’t already heard, Mike Lowell will not be playing in the World Baseball Classic. The fact of the matter is that he is coming off an offseason full of rehab and we don’t want to inhibit his potential to start on Opening Day. I want him to play during Spring Training and I want him to be perfectly healthy for the 2009 season. I’m pretty sure he was injured throughout the 2005 season when he was with the Marlins and he really bounced back from that. He’s only 34, there’s no reason that he can’t bounce back again. Chase Utley had a hip problem and he’s ready to go as he said in an interview on the Hot Stove Report. Maybe Mike Lowell should be up there as well.
I’m I am (learning from the J-Blog school) wondering if the Red Sox still have the chance to lock up some key players to some long term deals. I would like to get one done with Jason Bay. As far as I know, the free agent market for left fielders isn’t going to be too great next year and I’ve really come to like Jason Bay. As of right now, I don’t think that Papelbon will get locked up long term because even he hinted that “they don’t see eye to eye on that”. I would not mind waiting until next year to lock Papelbon up.
I also think that depending on how Jacoby Ellsbury does in 2009 that the Red Sox should look long term to him as well. By trading Coco Crisp to the Royals as one of the first moves of the offseason, it was implied that Ellsbury is the future center fielder of the Red Sox.
Once again, I had a conversation with the dedicated Cubs fan and asked him about Jake Peavy.
William [Cubs fan]: I would love to acquire Jake Peavy if the Cubs don’t have to give up too much talent.
(I don’t even need to interview Kaybee for this one).
Me: You said yesterday that you liked Ricketts over Steinbrenner. I thought you liked the Yankees.
William: Well, I have a lot of respect for the Yankees, but the Cubs are truly my favorite team.
William also plans on reading Torre’s book. I’m going to tell him to pick up Jane’s while he added.
I was scrolling through the impressive World Baseball Classic roster and not only did I notice the Red Sox names, but I noticed the abundance of star players on the Dominican Republic’s team. Looks like they’re going to be unstoppable. Seeing that a few games are being played in Miami at the Marlins’ stadium (sadly called Dolphin Stadium), I will be trying to attend.
I outlined the games that I am planning on attending in Florida for the upcoming season because I don’t know when I will be making my pilgrimage to Fenway. Spring Training games are obviously up there as well as a few Rays vs Red Sox series and a couple of Marlins games. I am wondering if any of you will be making the trip down to Florida for Spring Training. Let me know, I look forward to seeing you there.
-Elizabeth
A Very Merry Christmas In NY Indeed- Mark Teixeira to the Yankees
I found out this morning. I was at my friend Cara’s (a friend of mine from over the summer who is visiting) apartment when her father, a Red Sox fan, announced the news. You have to be kidding me, I said. Mark Teixeira, on the Yankees?? They were barely in the sweepstakes. They did it again! They were lurking in the darkness until the last minute, and then they pounced! The deal? 8 years, $180 million with a $5 million dollar signing bonus. $20 million in the first two seasons, 22.5 in each of the final six years. So how much have the “Bronx Bombers” spent this offseason? $423.5 million. Now that I can’t have Mark Teixeria, do I want him? Nope.
Am I mad at John Henry? Do I think he’s cheap? Nope
So I started to have a conversation with Cara’s father about the whole situation, here’s how it went down, Jane Heller style.
Dr. Neel: Did you hear, the Yankees got Mark Teixeria
Me: You’ve got to be kidding me! The Yankees? They weren’t even in the sweepstakes for him
Dr. Neel: Well, they did it again
Me: Great, they have a monstrous starting rotation, and they’ve just bolstered their offense. But… I never wanted Teixeria
Dr. Nell: What? Why not??
Me: Well, we already have Youkilis at first, and I have faith that Lowell can return strongly, I mean, he was the 2007 World Series MVP.
Dr. Neel: Yeah, but that was a year ago.
Me: It’s only a year
Dr. Neel: But this year, Lowell had a torn hip labrum, that’s only a couple steps away from a hp replacement. Do we really want a third baseman who was so close to a hip replacement?
Me: Well, the rehab is going well
Dr. Neel: And he’s 37 (this just in from Julia: he’s 34 years old!!) years old! We maybe have another two or three years out of him, but after that?
Me: We have two years left with him, the re-signing after 2007 was for three years. I think he’ll be fine.
Dr. Neel puts down a fine argument doesn’t he? Teixeria is 28 years old, Lowell is 37. Teixeria is a hitting machine, Mike Lowell was a hitting machine, “Mr. Double” right? But here’s the thing. I want two more years out of Mike Lowell, I know he tore his hip labrum, but he’s going through some rehabilitation. He’ll have his intense range of motion back, and I have faith that his bat will go back to being the offensive force it was in 2007.
However, the Yankees needed him much more than the Sox did. They only had two real offensive forces: Jeter and Rodriguez. The Red Sox have: Pedroia, Youk, Papi, Lowell, Drew, and Bay. We know that Lowell is getting old. Future solution after Lowell either retires or leaves: Youk to third, bring up Lars Anderson, the future star.
It seems like me and Julia are the only Red Sox fans who have been opposed to Mark Teixeria since the beginning. I don’t know why I have so much faith in Mike Lowell, maybe because he’s always been one of my favorite players, and I’ve grown up watching him, but whatever the reason, I’m glad he’s going to stay.
Now that we’re out of the Tex sweepstakes, I really hope that we sign Derek Lowe. We do actually need a strong fourth slot starter, and Derek Lowe would be perfect for that. Red Sox fans love him! He’s done so much for us, and he loves us too. Remember his no-no in 2002 against the Rays? That would make a great Christmas present.
But an even better one? Four years ago, on this date, a certain someone re-signed with us. If he does it again, I think a lot of us at Red Sox Nation would be happy.
Have a great Christmas Eve to those of you who celebrate Christmas. Thank you all for being so supportive. I love this family here (more on that tomorrow).
-Elizabeth
The Sox are out of the Mark Teixeria Sweepstakes
It was announced roughly two days ago that the Red Sox are out of the Mark Teixeria sweepstakes. As soon as I heard the news, I was happy. Like I’ve been saying since the second the rumor came out in the first place, we don’t need Mark Teixeria. When you get to Game 7 of the ALCS, there’s not much to improve upon, especially if some of your star players had injuries (Mike Lowell). Teixeria would’ve messed everything up with the Red Sox.
Kevin Youkilis at first is golden (alright, pun intended…). Earlier in the season he broke the record for most consecutive games at first base without an error. Why would you want to tamper with that? Sure he’s proven that he can play third (and outfield for that matter) but we already have a gold glover third basemen.
Plus, he was the 2007 World Series MVP, and we extended his contract in 2007. Sure Mikey had some offensive problems this year, and he couldn’t always make those impeccable backhanded catches when the ball was sharply hit down the third baseline, and then throw it perfectly over to Kevin Youkilis, but he had a hip injury! It can all be salvaged, that’s what rehab is for!
And for that matter, we already have a designated hitter, David Ortiz. Sure he didn’t have a great offensive season, he had that horrible slump at the beginning of the season, but his wrist was hurting, and his knee too for that matter. Hopefully he’ll engage in some training program that will make both those areas (which are essential for every hitter) less of an obstacle for him. This upcoming season, I think he’s going to have to step up and be the offensive forces of the lineup. And going back to the David Ortiz slump, in my opinion, a home run gets you out of a bad slump. So when the Sox were playing Texas kind of early in the season, I called his grand slam- placement and everything. I can only call a couple of home runs a year, so that was a nice one.
Here’s the rotation/lineup that I want for next year:
Pitchers (not in order)
1. Jon Lester
2. Daisuke Matsuzaka
3. Josh Beckett
4. Derek Lowe (I think we should go after him now that we’re out of the Tex sweepstakes)
5. Tim Wakefield *
Relievers
-Manny Delcarmen
-Ramon Ramirez
-Hideki Okajima
-Justin Masterson
-Clay Buchholz **
-Michael Bowden ***
-Javier Lopez
-Jonathan Papelbon
C: Jason Varitek
backup catcher: wishfully thinking, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, but if I have Clay Buchholz up there, then I don’t think that’s happening
1B: Kevin Youkilis
2B: Dustin Pedroia
3B: Mike Lowell
SS: Jed Lowrie
LF: Jason Bay
CF: Jacoby Ellsbury
RF: JD Drew
The actual lineup should look like this
1. Jacoby Ellsbury
2. Dustin Pedroia
3. Big Papi
4. Kevin Youkilis
5. Jason Bay
6. JD Drew
7. Mike Lowell
8. Jason Varitek
9. Jed Lowrie
*(Tim Wakefield): Depending on Spring Training, we could always move him to the bullpen like in 2003.
**Clay Buchholz: Maybe the bullpen would be better for him to start off in…
***Michael Bowden: I say put him in the bullpen, but treat him like the Justin Masterson of last year. We add him to the roster in September, and we can bring him up when needed earlier.
By the way, I think we should keep Tazawa in the minors for the entire year, or maybe bring him up as well in September.
Player to keep an eye on for Red Sox Spring Training: Lars Anderson. I predicted Jed Lowrie last year since the beginning, this year I’m thinking Lars Anderson.
Last but not least, like I mentioned in some of my former blog posts, I’m writing for this site MLB Center now as the Red Sox Correspondent (once again, thanks Ben! I found it through your link). So not only am I providing weekly updates, but I have a new assignment:
Top 10 Red Sox players of all time, ranked and everything. So, I would like to ask all of you for any opinions/input you may off. If your input doesn’t make the top 10, I’ll put it in the “honorable mention category” quoting you and putting a link to your URL.
-Elizabeth
The only thing I want for christmas, is Jason Varitek back on the Sox
Four years ago, Jason Varitek re-signed with the Red Sox on Christmas eve. The only thing I want for Christmas this year, is for Jason Varitek to do the same thing again. It has been reported that the Red Sox offered Varitek a one-year deal… but Scot Boras, one of baseball’s “power agents”, said that he was unaware of this, in fact, he said that negotiations between Varitek and the Red Sox haven’t even started. Boras believes that a lot of teams are quite interested in Varitek. Theo Epstein himself said “Jason’s an important guy here, and we’ll sit down and explore if there’s a way for him to come back that will help be a positive solution for our catching situation. If there is, I’m sure he’ll end up coming back. If there are obstacles we can’t overcome, sometimes that’s beyond our control. It’s an important one. He brings a lot to the table here, despite not having one of his most productive years. We’ll sit down and talk about it.” The Red Sox are said to favor a deal in which Varitek comes back, but doesn’t play quite as often, so perhaps there could be an acquisition of a younger catcher, who can be developed into an everyday catcher upon Varitek’s depart. Plus, when you have Varitek as a tutor, what could go wrong? The Sox already have a couple young catcher, including Kevin Cash, Dusty Brown, and George Kotteras. 
On another note, what about Mike Lowell? Sure he still has a year or two left on his contract, but his value is very high… so the Sox could get a good deal for him. Personally, I’m opposed to this because I think that Mike Lowell still has great potential. He just got hip surgery, and I’m sure that his rehabilitation process is going well. I definitely have faith that he will have a strong offensive season. Does that mean I’m not interested in Tex? Absolutely not, he seems very interesting, but I think that it’d important to look at the pros and cons of him coming to Boston.
It’s been over a week, and CC still hasn’t signed with the Yankees, and Hal is getting impatient. He told Sabbathia that this offer won’t last forever. My question is, why hasn’t CC succumbed to the money yet? The truth is, every baseball player follows the money. Sure CC would like to go home to the west coast… or maybe even the national league, but if any other team goes for him, wouldn’t the Yankees continue to drive up the price? It sure seems like Sabbathia is their number one priority.
elidreesox
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